They left Montreal Saturday night in a sea of fans, relatives and friends surrounding the team bus inside the Bell Centre. The Devils, fresh off their memorable 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in which Martin Brodeur recorded his 551st career win, were given a day off on Sunday.

Sunday was a day for the commotion to die down, but the Devils will return to the ice Monday morning for the lead-up to Tuesday night's meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks at the Prudential Center. With a victory in that game, Brodeur would pass Patrick Roy as the NHL's all-time winningest goaltender.

"It's a matter of time before it happens," forward Brian Rolston told me. "The bottom line is it is going to happen. We know that."

I jokingly said to Rolston: So you're predicting Brodeur will break Roy's record?

"Yeah, that's my prediction," Rolston said with a smile. "I'll put that right out there. He will break the record."

That's an easy one, but will he do it Monday night? My guess is that no matter what happens against the Blackhawks, Kevin Weekes will play in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday night.

Do not forget, of course, that Patrik Elias had a goal and an assist in Montreal to help Brodeur to his 551st win. Those two points pulled Elias even with John MacLean as the Devils' all-time scoring leaders (701 points).

"It's great. I've kind of downplayed it the last week or two weeks since I've been getting close," Elias said. "I'm excited and my family is excited."

So is MacLean.

"I went and congratulated him," the Devils' assistant coach said. "It was awesome."

I don't know if Elias will pass MacLean Tuesday night. However, like Rolston, I'm going out on a limb here. I predict Elias will break MacLean's record.